Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Elective Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: Lessons to Be Learned

The review investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the elective surgical treatment of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and the modifications of the duration of hospital stay scheduled for the surgery. Most of the studies included in our analysis showed a decrease in the number...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Catalin Vladut Ionut Feier, Razvan Bardan, Calin Muntean, Andra Olariu, Sorin Olariu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-09-01
Series:Medicina
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1648-9144/58/10/1322
Description
Summary:The review investigates the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the elective surgical treatment of patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and the modifications of the duration of hospital stay scheduled for the surgery. Most of the studies included in our analysis showed a decrease in the number of elective surgical procedures applied to patients with colorectal cancer, varying from 14% to 70% worldwide. We have also observed a significant shortening of the hospital stay in most of the cases, associated with a longer waiting time until hospital admission. In the end, we have performed a synthesis of all the valuable data and advice gathered from real life observations, proposing a strategy to deal with the pandemic and with the large number of cancer patients accumulated during these difficult times.
ISSN:1010-660X
1648-9144